A Night of odysseys

“What does the Mediterranean mean to me? I saw myself facing the elements: the sea, the sun, the wind, the storm. I realised how those places that inspire me so intensely are never silent. The idea for a soundtrack was born.” Alone onstage, cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton struggles against the elements: a deluge rages around her... A Night of odysseys is a new way of reinventing the stage by bringing together classical and traditional music and a soundtrack made of voices recorded during many encounters with groups of women, secondary school students, people living in exile, and artists. The audience is invited to a moving aural experience in which the noises of the world multiply thanks to an ingenious installation. Bach can be heard among the noise of motors; the waves of the Mediterranean smash against the stage; the audience is carried away on adventures that slowly paint the portrait of mankind as forever travelling, making each and every one of us a Ulysses looking for wonders or driven by the simple desire of coming back to his or her loved ones. In a great moment of brotherhood, the famous musician creates a new form of concert and offers a beautiful sensory experience.

After studying at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris, Sonia Wieder-Atherton joined the Moscow Conservatory. In 1986, she won the Prix Rostropovitch. Over the course of her career as a soloist, she has performed live throughout the world with the most prestigious orchestras and released many records. Curious and passionate, she started creating her own shows very early, often accompanied by different artists, including aural experiences combining soundtracks with classical and traditional music: her Odysseys.

With Sonia Wieder-Atherton

Creation, cello Sonia Wieder-Atherton
Sound design Alain Français
Lights based on an idea of Jean Kalman
Sound distribution Olivier Mazarguil
Images Chantal Akerman, RBG, Xavier Arias
Video Quentin Balpe
Soundtrack conception Sonia Wieder-Atherton, Franck Rossi
Sound recording Franck Rossi, Pierre-Antoine Signoret, Julie Grisel, Marius Atherton

Production Walterfilms, Compagnie A.Swa
With the support of fonds de dotation Les Partageurs, Théâtre du Nord Centre dramatique national Lille Tourcoing Hauts-de-France
Co-hosting Festival d'Avignon, La Chartreuse-CNES de Villeneuve lez Avignon
With the help of Fondation Royaumont, Les Visiteurs du soir, Learprint, L-Acoustics, De Préférence